April 2011

April 01, 2011

I had a flight issue today, so I wasn't able to get to practice at Staples Center, but I was told that Karlis Skrastins and Adam Burish both went through full practice, and both are possible for Saturday. We have been through this before, so I will caution too much optimism. I truly feel that Skrastins is ready. He has looked great in practice. Burish, I'm not so sure about. I guess we'll see tomorrow. Skrastins practiced with Mark Fistric, but there is a thought the team will cosider using seven defensemen and rotating. ``That would be one way to protect ourselves if he does play, so that's definitely under consideration,'' Stars coach Marc Crawford said. Burish skated with Mike Ribeiro and Brenden Morrow, and Jamie Benn skated with Brad Richards and Loui Eriksson, if you want to read into any of that. It's a day game in LA, so that was the last time they will be on the ice before the game, and that usually means something. Crawford said the practice was spirited. ``They understand the situation, but they also understand the best solution is to play our best game and try to change our fortunes on the ice,'' Crawford said. ``We understand the role of those on the outside, and we understand how they view this. But we are the workers, and we have to view this as workers _ that we have a job to do.'' Kari Lehtonen will get the start in goal against the Kings, who are coming in off a 3-1 loss in Vancouver on Thursday.

I generally try to stay out of the business of criticizing the coaching staff. There are 100 decisions a game, and I see how much time and energy the coaches put in every day, so it's a risky dance when you start second-guessing who is in the lineup or who is chosen for the shootout. These coaches want to win every game, so they get the benefit of the doubt on most nights. But coming out and trying to play an ``all-in'' game against the Sharks tonight? I just don't get that one. I guess maybe Marc Crawford and his group decided that the Stars had been relaxing too much early and wading into the games. This team does have a history of that. Or maybe they felt that by getting a quick goal that they could get to Antti Niemi and control the game early. Whatever the decision, it backfired…big time. Dallas started with a two-man forecheck, played hard, and had a couple of great scoring chances that were stopped. But, then the wild and wooly play caught up with them and Dan Boyle scored as the trailer on a counter-attack. Credit Joe Pavelski and Boyle for good plays, and critize Trevor Daley for just standing there while Boyle went to the net _ because that was the reason for the play, and not the Stars' strategy or system. Still, Crawford creates a certain environment when he starts a game like that, and he created a revved up HP Pavilion and an excited Sharks team, and that combination proved deadly. By the end of the night, the Sharks had 52 shots on a goal and a 6-0 win, and I really believe the aggressive game plan played a huge role in that outcome. Here Stars captain Brenden Morrow: “Our game plan was to be aggressive, but I think we were a little guilty of getting too aggressive on forechecks,” Morrow said. “It’s a pretty opportunistic bunch, and they’ll make you pay when you make mistakes.” Here's Marc Crawford explaining how he saw the game: “We played a first period that had lots of battle in it, but it didn’t seem like we were able to match them in the second and third,” Crawford said. “They looked like a lot fresher club than we did. That’s no excuses for us. We got beat, and we got beat soundly. We just have to be more determined than we showed. It’s not good enough, and we know it’s not good enough. The consolation is that we live to fight another die, but on the other side of it it was the whole group that wasn’t good enough.” And I think you can throw the coaches in on that group thing. They weren't good enough either. We'll see what happens the rest of the way, but if this team really misses the playoffs and continues on the 12-14-6 path that has cost them first place in the Pacific Division, then I think the coaching staff will have a lot to answer to. The team is being positive right now, and I can’t blame them for that, but the organization has to turn a critical eye at some point in this process. Daley has tough night: Trevor Daley has an awful night. He made a really bad read on the Boyle goal (it seemed when he was tracking back, Daley should have seen that Boyle was the only person who could get to a rebound) and he also took the hooking penalty that led to Goal No. 2. Credit him for standing up after the game and taking blame, though. ``It’s tough when you get an opportunity like this, and you go out and lay an egg like that,’’ Daley said. ``My game wasn’t where it should have been tonight, and it’s really disappointing. I know what my role is on the team, and I know what my teammates expect of me, and I didn’t bring that.’’ Daley is becoming a leader on this team, and he recently signed a six-year contract extension, so he knows he has to be better. I look at it as a learning experience for him. Raycroft returns: Andrew Raycroft made his first appearance since Feb. 19 and stopped 17 of 19 shots in the third period. It was a good test for the veteran, who had some fears about rust. Will that make Marc Crawford consider using him in one of the two back-to-back situations that remain on the schedule? It will probably depend on how the Stars are looking in the race for a playoff spot.